Tactics: Suppressive fire

[sc1ence]

One of the unfortunate side effects of statistics tracking is the focus on accuracy as a statistic. When people focus on improving their accuracy often what they are speaking of is increasing the ratio of hits to misses. What this ignores is the value of suppressive fire. What follows is a tactical brief on when to use suppressive fire in FFoW.

Usage

The purpose of Suppressive fire is to keep an enemy pinned behind cover. This is accomplished by continual fire at an enemy that forces them to remain behind cover or risk certain death. Rather than run out into a hail of bullets, the enemy stays pinned behind cover. When an enemy is pinned you reduce their situational awareness. This can allow your fireteam members freedom to move to a flanking position and take out the enemy. This is also a useful tactic if you are trying to hold a capture point from an approaching enemy. Keeping an enemy at bay for 10 seconds while you capture a location is more important than letting them get in a position where you can kill them. If they are in a position where you can shoot them, they can shoot you.

The 3 most common times suppressive fire is used:
1. It is vital when trying to advance the frontline of the battle. As your squad is moving from cover to cover, the stationary elements should be firing at enemy positions while the mobile elements are seeking cover at a forward position.
2. When trying to actively capture a point, you will need to hold that terrain for 10-20 seconds. Suppress any troop movement you see. Keeping that location enemy free is more important than scoring a kill for that short time.
3. When engaging an enemy, shoot to kill first, but if they seek cover, provide suppressive fire while a member of your fireteam moves to a flanking position to take the kill.

The use of suppressive fire is not limited to the use of infantry weapons. During an amphibious assault on a beachhead, as often occurred during World War II, naval warships would open fire with their main armaments at known or suspected enemy artillery, mortar, or machine gun positions, on or behind the landing beaches. This was intended to suppress enemy fire from these positions which could be directed against the landing troops.

Tanks and APCs can provide great covering fire for infantry fireteams. This game is all about moving the frontline. This requires tactics that are tried and true for accomplishing this task. You take and hold terrain using a combination of lethal force and suppressive fire.

Example of suppressive fire
Situation:
• The enemy holds a position, such as a building or trench line, perhaps reinforced with sandbags, landmines, barbed wire or other obstacles.
• The enemy has a clear field of fire, so any force attacking them has very few places to take cover.
• To take the enemy's position, an attacker must be able to approach without getting shot and injured or killed. The enemy's ability to shoot at attackers must be reduced.
• To stop the enemy from shooting at attackers, the attacking force divides in two.
• The first group of attackers fires on the enemy. This will cause the enemy to take cover, thus minimizing their ability to return fire.
• While the first attacking group is firing at the enemy - keeping them suppressed - the second group of attackers advances toward the enemy position.
• This second group now stops, and begins laying down their own suppressive fire. The first group can now advance under cover of the second group's suppressive fire.
• The process repeats as needed, with each attacking group alternating roles (either advancing or laying down suppressive fire) until they can attack the defenders at close quarters, also called leapfrogging.

Note that suppressive fire is not "pray and spray." You are not blindly firing your weapon and hoping it hits something useful. You are focusing your fire in a location that forces an enemy to remain behind cover.

Quotes are from wikipedia article on suppressive fire.

[Redginald]

While this is all good and useful in the real world and maybe some games, I don't think it's that useful in many of the FPS games out there. With the n00b tube and weapons more powerful or accurate than others, people are more willing to step out into a hail of bullets knowing they can take the other guy out before they go down, even if they are hit a few times.

Good find though

[Scarface6174]

I respectfully disagree Reginald. I have used supressive fire very well in Frontlines already. (GNAW) While kneeling behind a low wall, so that just my gun and head stuck out, and using the Heavy Assault kit, I was supressing a corner that had enemy infantry trying to come around. My squad was moving up on the next position, so I stayed where I was pumping 2 second bursts into that corner with about 1 second in between to keep their heads down. They did poke out their heads every once in a while, but I'd smack em a few times and took 1 guy out actually.

Guess what, it worked. My squaddies got to the corner, and took out the 3 guys who had stacked up there waiting for me to stop firing.

[Io Dragone]

Originally Posted by Scarface6174

I respectfully disagree Reginald. I have used supressive fire very well in Frontlines already. (GNAW) While kneeling behind a low wall, so that just my gun and head stuck out, and using the Heavy Assault kit, I was supressing a corner that had enemy infantry trying to come around. My squad was moving up on the next position, so I stayed where I was pumping 2 second bursts into that corner with about 1 second in between to keep their heads down. They did poke out their heads every once in a while, but I'd smack em a few times and took 1 guy out actually.

Guess what, it worked. My squaddies got to the corner, and took out the 3 guys who had stacked up there waiting for me to stop firing.

Lol, were Keen and I in that game Scarface? I think I remember that. Pushing up towards memorial park along the right street as WC?

But yeah. Suppressing fire definitely works in the right situations, especially on the urban maps where its harder to flank around. I'd be careful about using it on more open maps when enemies can just go around to the opposite corner.

[Scarface6174]

If it's GNAW, then it's usually you guys in there with me. Probably so then.

Agreed about the urban enviroments vs. open enviroment BTW, it just don't work as well when there's no real way to keeo your flank safe.

[Chevy Nick]

Originally Posted by Redginald

people are more willing to step out into a hail of bullets knowing they can take the other guy out before they go down, even if they are hit a few times.

I agree. Suppressive fire is certainly effective in the 'real world', but I don't think video game players really care that much if their characters get shot.

[draeh]

Originally Posted by Chevy Nick

I don't think video game players really care that much if their characters get shot.

They do care if they are trying to win. Especially in FFOW with no medic class to pick you back up again. I have used suppressive fire quite effectively on Streets to allow my squad to move more easily across the street to Statue. Suppressive fire is one of the hardest things to master. When doing it right, the enemy makes you the focus, taking their eyes off the rest of your squad.

[SFC iL DuCe]

Originally Posted by draeh

They do care if they are trying to win. Especially in FFOW with no medic class to pick you back up again. I have used suppressive fire quite effectively on Streets to allow my squad to move more easily across the street to Statue. Suppressive fire is one of the hardest things to master. When doing it right, the enemy makes you the focus, taking their eyes off the rest of your squad.

Especially if you end up killing them. I find that 90% of gamers (including myself sometimes) seek retribution rather than completing an objective. Some players are so hell-bent on revenge you can take them completely out of their game. I've learned to curve my alpha-male tendencies and focus on accomplishing the objective at hand, rather than going rambo on someone.

[ILLIBERAL]

I ve used the ground support combat role (RS) rifle turret to pin down several squads long enough until I ve reached High rank and replaced my position with the Sentry gun. I ve been most effective when I deploy the turret behind jagged walls allowing the enemy minimal vision. Once Ive reached High rank (Sentry gun), I look for a High pt above street level to deploy the sentry gun. Then usually I can flank advancing enemy per the sentry gun.